Pressure (snap-in) flange for installing toilets

ABSTRACT

This invention involves a pressure flange for installing toilets in order to avoid damaging the floor in the room in which the bathroom fitting is to be installed, make for easy installation and removal, with no need for tools and using downward pressure to secure it, all without using special tools or equipment, thereby offering innovative, clean, safe, quick and easy installation. The pressure flange can be used on any make or model of toilet with holes for seating that meet standards for this type of bathroom fitting in markets in Mexico, the United States and Canada, since it comes in a standard size for a perfect connection both to the toilet and for insertion into the sewer line in the room (bathroom).

TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention covers the technical field of bathroom fittings inbathrooms, and specifically the installation of toilets.

PURPOSE OF INVENTION

The purpose of the installation is to install a toilet using just yourhands by applying downward pressure. This does not cause any damage tothe floor of the room and does not call for the use of special tools orequipment. The pressure flange for installing toilets is designed toobviate the use of plumber's wax, because it uses a gasket that servesas a seal between the pressure flange and the bottom of the base of thetoilet. The flange is designed so that no drilling or bolts are neededbetween the flange and the floor, due to the fact that it is pressurefixed to the walls of the sewer line.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Common flanges (Patent: CA2664132) are made of cylindrical-shaped hardplastic with a large-diameter circular collar with ears at the top withholes drilled in it for seating the flange in the floor of the bathroom,and also rectangular slots for special flange screws, known as anchorbolts, the threads of which point upwards, one on each side; theseusually line up with the holes at each side of the base of the toilet.These bolts, when inserted into the seated flange, enable the toilet tobe fastened to the bathroom floor by using a washer and wing nut andtightening them around each anchor bolt on the top of the base of thetoilet.

This method consists of drilling holes in the bathroom floor with adrill exactly where the holes for seating the flange are, which holeswere previously marked out using a pencil or marker. Anchors areinserted so that the flange can then be secured to the floor by means oflag screws and a screwdriver. A wax ring must be placed inside theflange in the main hole in the middle and at the same time as a pair ofanchor bolts are inserted into the rectangular slots on each side of theflange. Toilets have an opening or outlet with a raised rim so that whenthe toilet is placed on the flange, the outlet with the raised rimliterally flattens the wax ring inside the center hole to create a sealto prevent any leakage, though this is an antiquated and messy method ofdoing so. When the toilet is placed on the flange, the anchor boltthreads point upwards and protrude from the base of the toilet so thatit can then be fastened by means of a washer and nut around each anchorbolt using a special open-end wrench. It is important to note thedifferent tools you have to have on hand for this antiquated andtraditional method of installing a toilet.

There are also flexible gaskets (Patent US2008148469), which weredesigned to replace plumbing wax, since these are inserted in the spaceinside the flange, you must have a conventional flange if you use them;and they also have the disadvantages of being more expensive and theymay not fit certain types of toilet; since they are of limitedflexibility.

A flange with a flexible plastic membrane was recently introduced ontothe market (Patent MX20070010443); this is inserted in the sewer linebut it follows the same antiquated method of installation, where youhave to drill into the bathroom floor to secure the flange to the floor,thereby damaging the floor. It also has a flexible opening that islimited to certain types of toilet outlets and it is also intended toreplace a wax ring. Note that when the “flexible” membrane is insertedaround sharp angles, it tends to fold and block the discharge.

The above disadvantages will be overcome by this invention due to factthat it is durable and easy to install, inasmuch as the flange, whichconsists of three main parts, is pressure-secured (snap-in) and it doesnot damage or leave any residue on the bathroom floor; you just needyour hands to install it and it seals directly to the bottom of the baseof the toilet by means of a ring-type gasket; the internal diameter isbig enough to fit the largest diameter specified for outlets on toiletsper standards in Mexico, the United States and Canada. This inventionalso handles different levels or heights, which enable it to be adaptedto the different depths inside the base also specified per standards inthe afore-mentioned countries.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The pressure flange consists of three basic parts; these are: thesealing ring or gasket, a rigid main column and an external pressuregasket that fits around the rigid main column. Once the pressure flangehas been connected to the toilet, these (the toilet and pressure flangeassembly) work as a single unit or part that is inserted into the sewerline by pressing downwards, while holding on to the sides of the toilet

It is disassembled by pushing upwards in the opposite direction of thatfor installation in order to remove the toilet and the pressure flangefrom their seating. This leaves you with a floor that is as clean andundamaged as the day you installed it and it also enables you to installa new toilet using the same pressure flange.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a general isometric of the pressure flange; without anchorbolts, washers and nuts.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of each individual main component of apressure flange.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a pressure flange.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a pressure flange.

FIG. 5 is a view of a pressure flange from the right side.

FIG. 6 is a view of a pressure flange from the bottom.

FIG. 7 consists of three consecutive views from the back (a, b and c),illustrating the procedure for inserting an assembled pressure flangeinto a toilet, inside the bathroom sewer line.

FIG. 8 is a view from the back of the completed connection—a toilet witha pressure flange connected to it inside a sewer line.

FIG. 9 is a cross-section of a front view of the pressure flange,showing its components in detail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

Described is a flange for installing a toilet; installation requires notools—you just apply downward pressure when you insert it into the sewerline; the flange consists of:

An o-ring seal (No. 1) seated in the top end of a tube, which makesdirect contact with the underneath of the base of the toilet in order toprevent leakage.

A rigid main column (2) for connecting and securing the toilet inside asewer line (bathroom sewer line) (No. 20), with a mounting on the top ofa larger diameter than the extruded extension on the initial verticaltube, which has an oval-shaped collar (No. 5) with an ear each side witha hole in the center; and

An pressure flex-line or ribbed seal (no. 3) that fits around the bottomof the tube or rigid main column (No. 2), enabling it to be insertedinto the sewer line or secured by means of pressure.

Toilets have two holes drilled in their base (No. 4), one on each sideof the outlet (No. 17) enabling them to be secured to the floor (No.19). These same holes (No. 4) are used to secure the pressure flange tothe toilet; the oval-shaped top (No. 5) and the guides for the anchorbolts (No. 18) by means of the holes (No. 21) [sic], located one on eachside, enabling them to be connected through these holes (No. 4) in thetoilet and at the same time the oval-shaped top, which has a circulardown pipe (no. 6) in the center; this provides it with access to thesewer line (No. 20) in the room.

Once the pressure flange has been connected and secured to the toilet,the water outlet opening with the raised rim (no. 17) in the toilet isinside the pressure flange in the inside (No. 14) of the pressureflange, which is specially designed for this feature of the toilet. Thisinternal space (No. 14) is big enough to fit all diameters and wateroutlet heights in toilets per national and foreign standards.

The pressure flange is shaped like a vertical tube and it is designed tobe connected directly to the toilet and you can simply tighten the wingnuts (No. 7) down onto the washers by hand (No. 8) on the top of thebase (No. 9) of the toilet. Also there is enough space inside thisflange to fit different diameters and water outlet heights in toilets.When the anchor bolts (No. 10) are tightened, the anchor on the anchorbolt locks into the pressure flange from the base of the oval collar atthe top (No. 5) in the special cavities for the anchors (No. 22), whichin turn pushes the sealing o-ring up (No. 1); this ring is preferablyring-shaped and made of rubber; this gives a good seal and connection tothe bottom of the base (No. 11) of the toilet. The curved stops (No. 12)around the ring-shaped cavity (No. 13) that secures the sealing o-ring(No. 1) allow the sealing o-ring (No. 1) to fulfill its function as aseal without forcing or altering the oval collar at the top (No. 5) ofthe pressure flange. This o-ring (No. 1) can easily be replaced ifrequired, so the life cycle of the product is extended.

FIG. 7 shows how, once the pressure flange has been connected to thetoilet, the toilet and pressure flange become a single unit ready forconnection to the sewer line (No. 2) in the room. The connection methodis shown in FIG. 7, where the toilet with the pressure flange is seatedjust above the sewer line hole (No. 20) as shown in illustration a) inthe series of illustrations in FIG. 7; the entire toilet is then pusheddown until the base of the toilet is resting on the bathroom floor (No.19) as shown in illustration b) in FIG. 7, until the pressure flange hasbeen completely inserted into the sewer line (No. 20) as shown inillustration c).

The extension (No. 15) located between the circular tube in the middle(No. 6) of the flange and the oval upper part of the base (No. 5) meansthat the pressure flange can be adapted to toilet bases of differentdepths (No. 11).

The exterior corrugated ring (No. 3), which should preferably be made offlexible PVC, is fitted with a lip (No. 16) going all around the centertube (No. 6) in the rigid main column (No. 2)—preferably made of PVC—ofthe pressure flange. The function of this exterior pressure ring is toapply uniform pressure right across the contact surface it has with thewalls of the sewer line (No. 20). There is a special hole for anchorbolts (No. 10) on each side of the oval-shaped collar (No. 5) and also aring-shaped cavity just around the hole in the center of the oval, wherethe sealing ring is attached (No. 1). The center circular tube keeps theexterior pressure gasket upright without folding and in the sameposition for insertion. The pressure exerted by the exterior pressuregasket on the walls of the sewer line (No. 20) enable the toilet to besecured to the floor so that any horizontal or vertical movement thereofis limited to a certain range. The exterior pressure gasket (No. 3) iscorrugated or ribbed; this means that it can be slipped or inserted intothe sewer line (No. 20) because it has air inside it and at the sametime it presses against the inside wall of the sewer line (No. 20).

Another installation method using a pressure flange is to first insertthe pressure flange into the sewer line (No. 20) and then sit the toileton top of it lining up the holes in the base (No. 4) and then tightenthe washers (No. 8) and wing nuts (No. 7) by hand to the top of the base(No. 9) of the toilet.

When you want to replace the toilet, the only thing you need to do ispull the toilet straight up by holding the toilet on each side in orderto remove it.

1. A pressure flange for installing toilets that consists of: a sealingring secured to the top of a tube which makes direct contact with thebottom of the base of the toilet to prevent leakage; a rigid main columnfor connecting and securing the toilet to the sewer line (sewer line inthe bathroom), which column has a raised lip at the top of a largerdiameter than the raised lip on the initial vertical tube with aoval-shaped collar at the top with ears, with a hole in the middle; aflex-line type pressure gasket that goes around the bottom of the tubeor rigid main column, which is accordion-shaped, corrugated or ribbed,enabling it to be inserted or fitted into the sewer line by applyingdownward pressure. one of its features is that it can be installedwithout the use of any tools, by pushing it down into the sewer line inthe bathroom and tightening the wing nuts on the top of the base.
 2. Afeature of the pressure flange for installing toilets, as described inclaim 1, is its vertical tubular shape.
 3. The pressure flange forinstalling toilets, as described in claim 1, a feature of which is theoval-shaped top.
 4. The pressure flange for installing toilets, asdescribed in claim 1, a feature of which is the fact that the sealingring is preferably made of rubber.
 5. The pressure flange for installingtoilets, as described in claim 1, a feature of which is that the gasketis ring-shaped so as to provide a seal and connection to the bottom ofthe base of the toilet.
 6. The pressure flange for installing toilets,as described in claim 1, a feature of which are the stops located arounda ring-shaped cavity that the gasket secures; these stops create a sealwithout forcing or altering the structure of the pressure flange.
 7. Thepressure flange for installing toilets, as described in claim 1, afeature of which is that once the pressure flange is connected to thetoilet, the toilet and the pressure flange become a single unit.
 8. Thepressure flange for installing toilets, as described in claim 1, afeature of which is that the exterior pressure gasket is preferably madeof flexible corrugated or ribbed PVC, enabling it to be slid or insertedinto the sewer line.
 9. The pressure flange for installing toilets, asdescribed in claim 1, a feature of which is an exterior pressure gasketwith a lip at the bottom right around the circular tube in the middle inthe rigid main column of the pressure flange, the function of which isto prevent the pressure gasket from slipping when inserting the flangeinto the sewer line.
 10. The pressure flange for installing toilets, asdescribed in claim 1, a feature of which is a rigid circular tube in thecenter of the flange which allows the exterior gasket to stay uprightwithout folding and in the correct position when inserting it into thesewer line.
 11. The pressure flange for installing toilets, as describedin claim 1, a feature of which is the fact that connecting it to theholes in the toilet is easier because of the anchor bolt guides on eachside of the top of the oval collar on the flange.
 12. The pressureflange for installing toilets, as described in claim 1, a feature ofwhich is the fact that the sewer line in the room is accessed through arigid circular down pipe located in the middle.
 13. The pressure flangefor installing toilets, as described in claim 1, a feature of which isthat the oval-shaped collar with ears has a special hole on each sidefor the anchor bolts, and also a ring-shaped cavity, just around thehole in the middle of the oval collar, where the gasket is attached. 14.The pressure flange for installing toilets, as described in claim 1, afeature of which is enough space inside to fit all diameters and wateroutlet heights in standard toilets.
 15. The pressure flange forinstalling toilets, as described in claim 1, a feature of which is thatit has an extension located between a circular down pipe in the centerof the flange and the top of the oval shaped base, enabling you to adaptto different standards and depths of toilet bases, from the floor to thebottom of the base of the toilet.